I. Medieval Appropriation of Penance and Reconciliation
Presenter: Michael S. Driscoll

In the 12th century, the moment of reconciliation is identified as the moment of the experience of contrition. In c. 1140, Gratian asked if contrition of the heart alone can make satisfaction to God. The Fourth Lateran Council (1215) decided on the necessity of an annual confession to a priest with jurisdiction, introducing into the question of the meaning of penance a new concern for ritual, and for one's relationship with the institutional church. Penance was thought of as a total process consisting of a number of steps. Bernard of Clairvaux identified seven: knowledge of oneself, repentance, sorrow, confession, mortification of the flesh, satisfaction, and perseverance. Lombard identified three: contrition, confession, and satisfaction. The priestly absolution was understood as declarative.
12th century theologians were also concerned with the sincerity of one's attitude toward penance. Contrition should not result from the fear of punishment. The true penitent feels sorry of sins committed, wants to confess, and resolves not to commit those sins again. A sinner may come to confession out of fear or habit, and become genuinely contrite in the course of confession. Thus, Penance is understood as part of a larger personal process that is flexible and designed around the needs of the penitent. Contrition is the decisive factor and absolution is the sign, and not the cause, of the reality of forgiveness.

II. The Medieval Theologies of Justification
Presenter: Richard Bautch, S.J.

Augustine's thought on justification dominated the medieval approach. He believed that God does not command of humans what is impossible for them to do. This implies that God supplies all the grace necessary to act morally, thereby minimizing human effort.
Justification is understood as a fourfold process involving contrition, confession, absolution and satisfaction, though medieval theologians debated the internal relationship of the four. The critical issue becomes one's predisposition to the infusion of grace and the subsequent remission of sin.
A second issue revolves around the incarnation of the Logos. Inasmuch as God is understood to be just in se, forgiving sin through the Logos, in what sense is the incarnation necessary rather than free?
Finally, faith must be joined by love in the justifying process in order to become efficacious.